Zhang Tang was from Duling. His father was a minor official in Chang'an. Whenever his dad was out on official business, Zhang Tang stayed home to look after the house. When his father returned, he found that mice had stolen meat; he blew his stack and gave Zhang Tang a beating. Zhang Tang, though, dug a pit and smoked the mice out along with the remaining meat. He then solemnly wrote a case file, as if he were putting a criminal on trial, and presented the mice and meat as evidence in a formal report. When his father saw the case file written by this child, it looked like something a seasoned pro would write, and he was shocked at the time. From then on, he put Zhang Tang to work on the paperwork.
After his father's death, Zhang Tang became a minor official in Chang'an. While Zhou Yanghou was a big shot at court, he was once imprisoned in Chang'an, and Zhang Tang was especially attentive to him. Later, when Zhou Yanghou became a marquis, his relationship with Zhang Tang was very good, and he introduced him to many high-ranking officials. Zhang Tang later served in the Ministry of Personnel and then got a job in Ningcheng County. His good reputation got him a promotion to captain in Maoling, and he did well there.
When Wuanhou was the prime minister, he transferred Zhang Tang to be his historian and recommended him to be an imperial censor. During the Empress Chen witchcraft case, Zhang Tang investigated very carefully and uncovered everyone involved. The emperor felt that he was capable, so he promoted him to Grand Historiographer. He and Zhao Yu worked together to revise the laws; both were sticklers for detail and were particularly strict with officials stuck in their old ways. Later, Zhao Yu was transferred to the Works Ministry, and Zhang Tang became the Minister of Justice. They remained close, and Zhang Tang respected Zhao Yu like a big brother. Zhao Yu was determined to serve the public and was a bit stand-offish, while Zhang Tang was a whiz at reading people and working a room. When Zhang Tang first started as a minor official, he wasn't shy about grabbing a little extra for himself and had his fingers in a lot of pies with the rich and the fishermen in Chang'an. After he became one of the Nine Ministers, he made friends with all sorts of high-powered people. Even if he didn't really like them, he always put on a good show.
So, the story goes, back then, Tang, a scholar from Shangfang, handled a major case and wanted to do things by the book, like in the old days. He got some bright young scholars to help him out, studying "The Book of Documents" and "Spring and Autumn" to brush up on their history and solve some tricky cases. When reporting these difficult cases, he always laid out the whole story for the Emperor. If the Emperor approved, he followed the Emperor's orders and kept records for future reference. If the Emperor had other ideas, Tang would say, "It was all the wise officials, Your Majesty! Just following your lead!" This usually meant a lighter sentence.
Sometimes when reporting to the Emperor, he'd always sing the praises of his colleagues, and if they messed up, he'd smooth things over. If the Emperor wanted someone punished, Tang made sure it was a harsh punishment; if the Emperor wanted mercy, Tang made sure the punishment was light. With bigwigs, he'd use his words like a weapon; with ordinary folks, he'd plead for leniency with the Emperor.
So, even though he wasn't always fair and square, Tang became really popular. Lots of officials who got hit hard ended up owing him one, and they all flocked to the learned guys. The Prime Minister sang his praises many times.
When later handling the cases of rebellion by the three kings of Huainan, Hengshan, and Jiangdu, he traced the root of the matter. The emperor originally wanted to pardon Yan Zhu and Wu Bei, but Tang argued, "Wu Bei was involved in the rebellion, and Yan Zhu, who had free access to the palace and was a trusted advisor, secretly colluded with the regional rulers. If he is not executed, it will be impossible to govern the country in the future." The emperor accepted his advice. His skillful handling of cases, always presented as his own achievement, furthered his rise, and he was eventually promoted to Grand Minister of Justice.
After the surrender of the Hunxie King and others, the Han Dynasty launched a large-scale attack on the Xiongnu. As a result, the Shandong region suffered from floods and droughts, and the people suffered greatly, their complaints widespread. They relied on the county government for relief, but the county government was also empty-handed. According to the emperor's instructions, Sang Hongyang proposed the casting of white gold coins and five-grain coins, while monopolizing the national salt and iron sales, suppressing wealthy merchants and magnates, issuing decrees to crack down on powerful landowners who annexed land, and using various clever methods to assist in the enforcement of the law. Sang Hongyang reported on state affairs to the emperor every morning, discussing national finances, often going late into the night, causing the emperor to forget to eat. The prime minister's power was all taken away by Sang Hongyang, and all matters handled by the emperor followed Sang Hongyang's advice.
The people lived in hardship, and the policies implemented by the county government did not bring any benefits; instead, they allowed some corrupt officials to profit. Sang Hongyang harshly punished these corrupt officials. From the court ministers to the common people, he was both loved and hated. One time, when Sang Hongyang fell ill, the emperor personally visited his home to see him, demonstrating just how powerful he had become.
The Xiongnu came to seek peace through marriage, and the ministers began discussing this matter. Adviser Di Shan said, "We should seek peace." The emperor asked him why, and Di Shan replied, "War is a dangerous thing and should not be easily initiated. Emperor Gaozu tried to fight the Xiongnu, got his butt kicked at Pingcheng, and then opted for peace. Things were peaceful under Emperors Xiaohui and the Empress Dowager Gao. However, during the reign of Emperor Wen, when he wanted to deal with the Xiongnu, years of war bankrupted the north. During the reign of Emperor Xiaojing, the Wu and Chu rebellion caused months of chaos. After the rebellion was suppressed, Emperor Xiaojing no longer talked about warfare, and the country quickly became prosperous. Now, Your Majesty is launching an attack on the Xiongnu, but the country is already empty, and the border areas are impoverished. So, peace is the way to go." The emperor asked for the opinion of Sang Hongyang, who said, "That's just some naive bookworm who doesn't get it." Di Shan replied, "I'm just a simpleton, but guys like Sang Hongyang, the Grand Master of the Imperial Secretariat, are just playing loyal. When Sang Hongyang ran Huainan and Jiangdu, he cracked down hard on the princes, turning family against family, and keeping everyone on edge. I have long known that Sang Hongyang is pretending to be loyal." The emperor, angry, said, "If I make him county sheriff, can he stop the Xiongnu from raiding us?" Di Shan said, "No." The emperor asked, "What about in a district?" Di Shan said, "No." The emperor asked, "What about at a pass?" Di Shan knew he was beat, so he mumbled, "Yeah, sure." So the emperor sent Di Shan to guard the pass. A month later, the Xiongnu killed Di Shan and rode off. After that, the courtiers kept their mouths shut. Sang Hongyang had a friend, Tian Jia – a merchant with a strong moral compass. Even when Sang Hongyang was a nobody, Tian Jia was his friend, and even after Sang Hongyang got rich and powerful, Tian Jia kept him honest – a true stand-up guy.
After Sang Hongyang served as the Chief Imperial Censor for seven years, he was finally dismissed. So, the story goes that a man from Hedong named Li Wen had a grudge against Tang. Later, Li Wen became the Deputy Imperial Censor and tried several times to expose Tang's misdeeds in his petitions, but he couldn't get rid of him. Tang had a trusted aide named Shi Yeju, who knew that Tang held a grudge against Li Wen, so he secretly sent someone to frame Li Wen for treason, which went straight to the Emperor. The Emperor put Tang on the case, and in the end, Li Wen was sentenced to death. Tang knew that Shi Yeju was pulling the strings. The Emperor asked, "Where did this come from?" Tang feigned surprise and said, "This is probably someone Li Wen offended in the past seeking revenge on him." At this time, Shi Yeju was sick in his hometown, and Tang actually went to visit him and even gave him a foot massage! The people of Zhao mainly relied on iron smelting for a living, and the King of Zhao often brought the court to court over iron mines. Tang always helped the court counter the King of Zhao's arguments. The King of Zhao had a bone to pick with Tang and seized the opportunity to report to the Emperor. Because Shi Yeju had previously handled a case involving the King of Zhao, and the King of Zhao also held a grudge against him, he wrote a letter, saying, "Tang is a minister of the court. Shi Yeju fell ill, and Tang actually went to massage his feet. These two men were up to no good!" This letter reached the courts. As a result, Shi Yeju died of illness, and his brother got dragged into it, who was working in the government office at the time. Tang was already investigating several other government officials and, seeing Shi Yeju's brother, tried to help him on the sly but played it cool.
Shi Yeju's brother, however, didn't appreciate Tang's kindness; instead, he held a grudge. He had someone write a letter to the Emperor accusing Tang and Shi Yeju of plotting against Li Wen. This letter was delivered to Jian Xuan (official title). Jian Xuan had it in for Tang, and after receiving the letter, he carefully investigated the matter but did not report it. Then, someone robbed Emperor Xiaowen's tomb. Prime Minister Qingzhai and Tang were to apologize to the Emperor jointly. Facing the Emperor, Tang reasoned that since the Prime Minister frequented the palace and needed to apologize, he, having never been there, didn't. After the Prime Minister apologized, the Emperor ordered the imperial censor to investigate the matter.
Tang hoped to use this to alert the Prime Minister to Li Wen's plight, leaving the Prime Minister worried. Three high-ranking officials were out to get Tang. Zhu Maichen, a high-ranking official, already harbored a grudge against Tang, as his biography reveals. Wang Zhao, a native of the Qi state, rose to the high position of Right Interior Minister based on his talents. Bian Tong, a know-it-all with a terrible temper, eventually became magistrate of Jinan. These three, once above Tang in rank, later fell from grace, becoming his subordinates and forced to eat humble pie. Having served as acting Prime Minister, Tang knew these three had once been powerful and often made his life miserable.
So these three senior ministers conspired together and said, "Tang initially acted like your brother, but later betrayed you; now he's gunning for your job by using the matter of sacrificing to the ancestral temple to accuse you! We know a lot of dirt on Tang." They instructed officials to arrest Tang's associates, saying that Tang planned to submit a memorial, and his cronies always knew in advance, cornered the market, made a killing, and split the profits with Tang. There were also other shady dealings, and many rumors circulated about these matters. The emperor confronted Tang, asking, "The things I do, the merchants always know in advance and hoard my related items; someone must have told them my plans." Tang did not defend himself but pretended to be surprised and said, "That's just how things are!" He also pretended to report his work seriously. The emperor felt that Tang was two-faced, so he sent eight officials to interrogate him. Tang vigorously defended himself, saying that he did not do these things and pleaded not guilty.
So the emperor sent Zhao Yu to question Tang. When Zhao Yu arrived, he reproached Tang, saying, "Don't you know your place? How many people have died under your rule? Now everyone says you did those things; the emperor is taking this very seriously and wants you to sort this out yourself. Why do you have so much to say?" Tang then wrote a letter of confession, saying, "I, Tang, haven't done anything to deserve this. I started as an ordinary scribe, but you, the emperor, fortunately allowed me to reach the position of San Gong; I can't defend myself against these charges. The ones who framed me are those three senior ministers." Then Tang killed himself.
After Tang died, his family property amounted to only five hundred *liang*, all of which were rewards from the emperor, with no other savings. His brothers and sons wanted to give him an elaborate funeral, but Tang's mother said, "Tang was a minister of the emperor, but died because of harsh words. Why should we give him an elaborate funeral?" So they only used a simple ox-cart to transport him, with only a coffin and no outer coffin. When the emperor heard about this, he said, "If it weren't for this mother, there wouldn't be such a son." So the emperor thoroughly investigated, executed three high-ranking officials, the Prime Minister Qingzhai committed suicide, and Tian Xin was also executed. The emperor deeply regretted Tang's death and promoted his son An Shi to a higher position.
An Shi, styled Ziru, became a junior official at a young age due to his father's merits. He was skilled in calligraphy and served as the Minister of the Secretariat, being very diligent and responsible, never going out during his rest days. The emperor once went on an inspection tour to Hedong and lost three boxes of books. He ordered an inquiry, but no one knew, except An Shi, who recognized the books and described their contents in detail. The books were later found, and upon comparison with An Shi's description, nothing was missing. The emperor admired his talent, promoted him to the position of Minister of the Secretariat, and later elevated him to the rank of Grand Master of the Palace Attendants.
When Emperor Zhao of the Han Dynasty ascended the throne, Grand General Huo Guang controlled the court. Huo Guang regarded An Shi as upright and reliable, holding him in high esteem. Later, the Left General Shangguan Jie and his son, along with the Chief Censor Sang Hongyang, conspired with the King of Yan and others to rebel, resulting in their execution. Huo Guang felt that the court lacked senior officials to assist, so he recommended An Shi to the emperor to serve as the Right General of the Palace Attendants, hoping for a capable helper. After a long time, the emperor issued an edict saying, "Right General An Shi has served the court faithfully for thirteen years, diligently guarding the palace and ensuring peace throughout the realm. As the ancient sage-kings Tang and Yu did, I reward merit; therefore, I appoint An Shi as the Marquis of Fuping!"
In the second year, Emperor Zhao of Han kicked the bucket. Before his burial, General Huo Guang reported to the Empress Dowager and appointed An Shi as General to discuss putting Prince Changyi on the throne. However, Prince Changyi was a real party animal, so Huo Guang and An Shi decided to depose him and make Emperor Xuan the new emperor. Upon his ascension, Emperor Xuan rewarded the meritorious ministers and issued a decree saying: "Rewarding good people and those who've done good work – that's always been the way to do things. The General, Marquis of Fuping, An Shi, kept the palace safe, ran things right, looked after the people, worked his butt off for the country, and always did what was right. He kept the ancestral temple safe, too. He was given 1,600 households, second only to General Huo Guang." An Shi's sons, An Qianqiu, An Yanshou, and An Pengzu, all served as palace guards.
Several months after General Huo Guang's death, the Grand Minister Wei Xiang sent a memo, stating: "A good leader rewards good people to keep things running smoothly. That's how you keep the country happy. We're carrying on our ancestors' legacy, we're in charge, and we just lost General Huo. We need to celebrate his achievements to keep everyone calm. We can't leave that General job open; it'll cause a power struggle, and that's bad news for everyone! General An Shi has served Emperor Xiaowu faithfully for over thirty years. He was loyal, honest, and worked hard day and night with General Huo, making good things happen for everyone. He's a top guy and deserves to be the General, so he can focus on national affairs. His son, An Yanshou, is a good guy and can take over the palace guard." The Emperor liked the idea.
After An Shi heard about it, he was so afraid that he dared not accept it. He requested an audience with the emperor, took off his hat, bowed deeply, and said, "Sire, I just had to get it off my chest. In fact, I know that I am not capable enough to take on the position of Grand General. To replace General Huo, I can only rely on your grace to save my life." The emperor smiled and said, "You are too modest. If even you are not capable, then who else can do it?" An Shi repeatedly declined, but the emperor did not agree. After a few days, An Shi was finally appointed as the Commander of the Cavalry, in charge of the Secretariat. Several months later, he was stripped of his command, no longer commanding the army, and was appointed as the Guard General, responsible for the security inside and outside the palace, with control over the city gates and the Northern Army.
At that time, Huo Guang's son, Huo Yu, was the Right General. The emperor also promoted him to Grand Marshal, relieving him of his position as Right General and his command over the troops, a promotion in name only, designed to weaken his power. Over a year later, Huo Yu rebelled and his entire family was wiped out. An Shi was always cautious and fearful of taking responsibility, already burdened with worries. His granddaughter's husband was a Huo relative, and with the involvement in Huo Yu's rebellion, An Shi wasted away, his face a mask of worry. The emperor found it strange and pitied him, asking those around him what was going on, then pardoned his granddaughter's husband and comforted An Shi. An Shi became increasingly afraid. He held a key position in the court, known for his careful handling of internal and external affairs. Whenever major decisions needed to be made by the court, before anything was decided, he would feign illness; if he heard of an imperial decree, he would be startled and quickly send someone to the Prime Minister's residence to inquire. Therefore, no one at court knew what he'd had a hand in.
I once recommended someone, and that guy later came to thank me. An Shi was very angry about this, feeling that recommending talent should not be privately thanked. Therefore, he cut ties with the guy. But eventually, they patched things up.
There was once an official who had made great contributions and actively requested a promotion. An Shi told him, "Your contributions are significant, and the wise ruler will naturally know. As a subject, just do your job well; there's no need to boast about your achievements." An Shi firmly disagreed with his request. As a result, not long after, this official was indeed promoted.
The chief administrator of the Mo Mansion resigned, and An Shi asked him for the reason. The chief administrator said, "General, you are a trusted minister by the emperor's side, but talented individuals are not being promoted, and everyone is talking about it." An Shi replied, "The emperor is wise and will naturally distinguish between the talented and the unworthy. Subordinates just need to do their job well; why would I go out of my way to recommend anyone?" An Shi's desire for humility and avoidance of power was evident in his words.
After becoming the Grand Master of the Palace, an official got drunk and urinated in the hall. The supervisor wanted to punish him according to the regulations. An Shi said, "How can you be sure he didn't just have an accident? It's hardly worth making a fuss over." Later, another official was accused of having an affair with a palace maid, and the maid's brother reported it. An Shi said, "That servant's probably just bitter and trying to get him in trouble." He then imprisoned the reporting servant. An Shi's practice was to cover up the faults of others in this way.
Feeling uneasy about the prominence of both his father and son, An Shi secured a governorship for his son Yan Shou, hoping to deflect some of the attention. The emperor appointed him as the Governor of the Northern Region. After more than a year, considering An Shi's old age, the emperor recalled Yan Shou to the court and appointed him as the Left Cao (an official in charge of imperial records) and the Grand Minister of the Stables.
At first, Zhang He congratulated Prince Wei, but as a result, the prince was deposed, all the guests were killed, and Zhang He was imprisoned for congratulating the prince. Later, he became the Yeting Ling, and at that time, Emperor Xuan was still a young grandson of the emperor, raised in the Yeting. Zhang He felt guilty, thinking that the prince was wrongly killed, and the boy was lonely and helpless, so he took special care of him and cared deeply for him.
When the young grandson grew up, Zhang He taught him to read and study the *Book of Songs*, arranged for him to marry Xu Shi, and used his family's money as a dowry. This young grandson, who later became Emperor Xuan, often had unusual events occur during his childhood, all recorded in the *Annals of Emperor Xuan*. Zhang He knew about these things and told his brother An Shi, praising the boy's talent. An Shi vehemently disagreed, saying that the emperor's son was still above him and should not be praised in such a way.
By the time Emperor Xuan ascended the throne, Zhang He had already passed away. Emperor Xuan told An Shi, "The Yeting Ling always praised me during his lifetime, but you stopped him, which was right." Remembering Zhang He's kindness, Emperor Xuan wanted to title his tomb as "Marquis of Kindness" and arranged for two hundred households to guard the tomb. Zhang He had only one son, who died young, leaving behind only An Shi's grandson Pengzu. Pengzu was also very young and had studied books with Emperor Xuan at the table. Emperor Xuan wanted to title Pengzu as a marquis and first bestowed upon him the title of Marquis of Guannei.
So, An Shi strongly declined Zhang He's title and requested to reduce the number of households guarding the tomb from two hundred to thirty. Emperor Xuan said, "I am rewarding the Yeting Ling, not you, General!" An Shi then stopped his request and dared not say anything more. So, Emperor Xuan ordered, "Arrange for thirty households to guard the tomb of the late Yeting Ling Zhang He." Emperor Xuan personally arranged the location of Zhang He's tomb, right where he used to play as a child, south of the cockfight arena.
In the second year, Emperor Xuan decreed again: "When I was insignificant in my childhood, the Director of the Imperial Palace Attendants, Zhang He, assisted me, teaching me classical texts and historical records. His kindness was exceptional, and his contributions were great. As the Book of Songs says, 'A kindness unreturned is a debt unpaid.' I elevate Pengzu, Zhang He's grandson and already Marquis of Yangdu, to a higher rank as Marquis of Yangdu Ai." At that time, Zhang He had a seven-year-old orphan grandson, Zhang Ba, who was appointed as a low-ranking officer in the imperial guard, enfeoffed as Marquis of Guannei, with a fief of three hundred households. With both father and son now marquises and highly placed, Anshi resigned. Emperor Xuan ordered a massive sum, in the millions, to be rewarded to the Zhang family in the capital city. Anshi, a marquis with a fief of ten thousand households, wore coarse linen clothes. His wife spun their cloth, and their seven hundred servants were all skilled and hardworking. Their household was well managed, accumulating wealth bit by bit, so his wealth surpassed even that of the Grand General. While the Emperor respected the Grand General, he was far closer to, and more trusting of, Anshi.
In the spring of the fourth year of Yuankang, Marquis An Sheng fell ill and wrote to request to resign from his position, wanting to retire. The emperor replied, "My Lord Marquis, you are old and sick, and I am very concerned about you. Although you can no longer go to the battlefield, you were a senior minister of the late emperor, with great insights into running the country, which I cannot compare to. I still want to seek your advice frequently. Why do you want to resign from the position of Marquis of Fuping? It makes me think you're slighting me, which is not what I expect to see! I hope you eat well, see the doctor more, take care of your health, and enjoy your retirement!" An Sheng had no choice but to struggle on with state affairs, and he passed away in the autumn. The emperor gave him the title of Marquis of Jing posthumously and sent a small, unostentatious funeral procession to his burial, granting him a burial site in Dudong and sending people to build his tomb and ancestral hall. His son Yanshou inherited his title.
Before Yanshou became a marquis, he was one of the Nine Ministers. After inheriting the marquis title, he was granted land in Chenliu, as well as some estates in Weijun, receiving an annual income exceeding ten million in taxes. Yanshou felt that he had not contributed much and was not qualified to enjoy such a large estate left by his father, so he repeatedly wrote to request a reduction in households and land. He also expressed his sincerity through his younger brother, the Marquis of Yangdu, Pengzu. The emperor felt that he did have a modest nature, so he moved his land to Pingyuan; although it was still an estate in a county with the same number of households, the taxes were reduced by half. After Yanshou's death, he was posthumously titled as the Marquis of Ai. His son Bo inherited the title. Bo served as a Cavalry Officer and a Censor.
When Emperor Yuan just ascended the throne, he ordered the marquises to recommend talents, and Bo recommended the Imperial Steward, Chen Tang. Later, Chen Tang committed a crime, and Bo was punished by having two hundred households of his estate taken away. Not long after, Bo passed away and was posthumously titled as the Marquis of Miao. Later, Chen Tang made great achievements in the Western Regions, and people praised Bo for being a good judge of character. Bo's son Lin inherited the title.
Lin was very modest and frugal. Every time he attended court, he would always mutter, "Both Sang Hongyang and Huo Guang are cautionary tales for me. I must be careful and cautious!" When he died, he left his estate to his family and friends, opting for a simple burial with no tomb. Lin also held Princess Wu in high regard. After Lin's death, his son inherited his title.
During the Hongjia period of the Han Dynasty, the emperor wanted to emulate Emperor Wu by enjoying feasts and entertainment with his close ministers. He took a liking to the son of Princess Wu—Xu Fang. The Emperor was so smitten with Xu Fang, he even married him off to his own sister! The Emperor threw the wedding of the century for his sister and Xu Fang, complete with all the pomp and circumstance you'd expect. Every official in the court was falling all over themselves to curry favor, and the palace was buzzing with messengers bringing endless gifts. In no time, Xu Fang was appointed attendant and general, put in charge of the Ping Le garrison, and given a luxurious mansion, enjoying a general's待遇. The Emperor was inseparable from Xu Fang, often sneaking off together for fun. They partied it up for years.
Xufang's in the Emperor's good graces, which has angered the other imperial relatives. They have all ratted him out to the Empress Dowager. The Empress Dowager also feels that Xufang, at such a young age, living the high life and acting like a spoiled brat is just too much. And to make matters worse, disasters kept piling up, and those ministers all shifted the blame to Xufang. So, Prime Minister Xuan and Grand Secretary Fang told the Emperor, "Xufang is arrogant, out of control, extravagant, and basically lawless! Some time ago, the Imperial Censor Xiu and four others were ordered to look into a theft at Xufang's house. Xufang was at home at the time, and his goons barricaded the door, shot at the officials with crossbows, and wouldn't let anyone in. Apparently, some guy named Li Youjun wanted to marry his daughter off to Xufang, but that didn't work, so he sent goons to Li Youjun's place to grab her, injuring three people in the process. He also had it in for the county officials, so he sent forty of his goons, armed with crossbows, to raid the Music Bureau in broad daylight, attacking the place, beating up the officials' kids, smashing stuff, and causing a riot in the palace. They shaved Mange's head, shackled him, threw him in a prison uniform, and even the Chief Historian Diao and others had to kneel and beg for mercy before Xufang finally backed off. His goons, running wild with his power, even killed a guy's husband because they couldn't get his wife; or killed someone's relatives over nothing. They even chased after Xufang's brother when he ran, but didn't catch him, and got away with it. Xufang's a menace, committing outrageous crimes that have angered everyone. He's disloyal to the court, and his crimes speak for themselves. He can't stay near the Emperor. We're asking you to fire Xufang and send him back home. It's the only way to calm everyone down.
Not provided.
Unfortunately, Zhang Tang was demoted to Beidi as a Military Prefect. After a few months, he was summoned back to the court as a Palace Attendant. However, the Empress Dowager did not like him, so she sent him to Tianshui as Prefect of the Protectorate Commandery. During the Yongshi and Yuanyan periods, there were consecutive solar eclipses, and the court kept him there for a considerable period, while the emperor continually sent envoys to comfort him. After staying there for more than a year, the court summoned him back to the capital to let him go home and see his sick mother (princess). After a few months, his mother recovered, and he was sent to Hedong as a Military Prefect. Although the emperor liked him very much, he had to consider the opinions of the Empress Dowager and the ministers, so he always cried when sending him away. Later, he was called back to the court and became a Palace Attendant and Grand Minister of the Palace, with an official rank of two thousand stones (a high-ranking official). After more than a year, Prime Minister Fang Jin accused him again, and the emperor, with no other choice, dismissed him, granting him five million coins and permission to return home. After a few months, Emperor Cheng died, and Zhang Tang, missing the emperor, cried and died.
At first, Zhang Qianqiu, the eldest son of Zhang Anshi, and Huo Yu, the son of Huo Guang, served as Junior Attendants together, following General Fan Mingyou to fight against the Wuhuan. After returning, they went to see Grand Marshal Huo Guang. Huo Guang asked Zhang Qianqiu about the battle strategy and the geographical situation, and Zhang Qianqiu explained the battle situation and the map clearly and without omission. Huo Guang then asked Huo Yu, but Huo Yu could not remember and said, "There are written records." Huo Guang valued Zhang Qianqiu for this and thought Huo Yu was incompetent, lamenting, "The Huo's are on the way down, the Zhang's are on the rise!" Later, Huo Yu was executed, while the descendants of Zhang Anshi continued to serve as officials generation after generation. Starting from the reigns of Emperor Xuan and Emperor Yuan, there were more than ten people who served as Palace Attendants, Permanent Attendants, various departmental cavalry, and column officers. Of all the Han dynasty's meritorious officials' descendants, only the Jins and Zhangs enjoyed such lasting imperial favor, rivaling even the imperial relatives.
Zhang Tang's son, Zhang Chun, inherited the marquis title. He was humble and thrifty, proficient in the ins and outs of the Han Dynasty, inheriting his father's legacy. During the Wang Mang period, he held onto his title. By the time of the Eastern Han Dynasty, he rose to the position of Grand Minister of Works (a high-ranking government official) and was also granted the title of Marquis of Wushi.
Zhang Tang initially lived in Duling. For several generations, Zhang Anshi, Zhang Wu, Zhang Zhao, and Zhang Xuan all lived in Duling, moving homes three times before finally returning there.
According to Feng Shang, Zhang Tang's ancestors were of the same clan as Marquis Liu, but Sima Qian did not write about it, so it is omitted here. The Han Dynasty saw countless men made marquises, but none have been able to hold onto their titles for so long and receive the emperor's favor as the Zhang family of Fuping Marquis. Though Zhang Tang was a harsh man, he eventually fell from grace. However, he recommended talents and praised virtuous deeds, allowing his descendants to prosper. Zhang Anshi was upright and did not become arrogant despite his success. The unseen blessings of the He family also helped the Zhang family.
